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American Flag Tote Bag

- Art & Art History
- History & Social Studies
- Spelling
- Kindergarten
- Grades 6-8
- Grades 4-5
- Grades 1-3
Learn how to use Simply Spray® Project Spray and masking techniques to decorate a fabric tote bag with stars and stripes!
Materials
- White tote bag
- Contact Paper
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Painter's Tape
- Cardboard
Instructions
Step 1. Gather your materials.
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| Step 2.
Draw star shapes on contact paper. Tip: You can also trace an existing shape, like our Felt Star Stickers. |
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| Step 3.
Carefully cut out the stars. Set aside for later. |
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| Step 4.
Place a piece of cardboard over one square area of the tote bag. Secure with painter’s tape. We will paint this covered area in a later step. |
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| Step 5.
Begin creating stripes with the tape on the remaining exposed areas of the tote bag. Tip: use the width of a piece of tape to provide a guide for the distance between the lines. Make sure to also tape off the edges, handles and any other areas you do not want to be painted. |
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| Step 6.
Make sure your tote is on a protected surface. Using Simply Spray Project Paint, spray one even coat of paint on the tote bag. Begin and end spraying off the project to prevent splatter. Let the paint dry approximately 30 minutes and repeat with one more coat of spray, if needed. |
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| Step 7.
After the paint is dry to the touch (30-60 minutes), gently remove the painter’s tape to reveal the red and white stripes. |
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| Step 8.
Carefully remove the tape and chipboard from the blank area of the tote. Then use the chipboard and tape to cover and protect the finished area with the red and white stripes. You should now only see the white area we covered in Step 4. |
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| Step 9.
Gather the contact paper star designs you cut. Peel off the backing and stick stars in a random pattern. |
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| Step 10.
Using Simply Spray Blue Project Paint, spray one even coat of paint. Begin and end spraying off the project to prevent splatter. Let the paint dry approximately 30 minutes and repeat with one more coat of spray, if needed. Let the paint dry thoroughly before removing the stars. |
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| Step 11.
Trace around each start in silver Glitter Glue to complete the tote bag. |
Teacher's Corner
Practice a resist-art technique to create the perfect patriotic accessory for carrying all your July 4th essentials!
Lesson Objectives
- Resist-Art Revolution: This technique uses tape to create perfect lines and clean shapes, like the ones we see in geometry! By covering the tote bag with tape or contact paper, the paint will only cover certain areas and avoid others. If spray paint isn’t available, use finger paint or sponge brushes for an even cooler texture!
- Fascinating Flag: The American flag is a symbol of freedom, and the founding fathers chose the colors, symbols, and patterns they believed represented that best. What does the flag mean to your students? For a quick vocab lesson, have them write down words or phrases they associate with the American flag, then ask them to share!
Follow-up Discussion
Take this fun patriotic project even further! Once your students create a list of words and phrases describing the American flag, ask them to pencil in the descriptors on the clean, unpainted side of the tote. Make sure everything is spelled correctly, then trace over the words with markers or glitter glue!